Scaffolding for dome structures



June 25, 1963 J. P. REINHARDT SCAFFOLDING FOR DOME STRUCTURES Filed June28, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. F] l JOHN P. REM/HARD? June 25,1963- J. P. REINHARDT 3,095,060

SCAFFOLDING FOR DOME STRUCTURES Filed June 28, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 111L- r 9/ W 4/ F IG. 2 1/2 INVENTOR. F l C. 4 .mmv l? Ef/NHAZDT ATTOQA E).

June 25, 1963 J. P. REINHARDT SCAFFOLDING FOR DOME- STRUCTURES FiledJune 28, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 25, 1963 J. P. REINHARDT 3,095,060

SCAFF'OLDING FOR DOME STRUCTURES Filed June 28, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I01 E 9 17!!! w 17f .LWHF 5 1&4 I "if a M 1i i 1% 1 52 I I ll l ll llllrE fii'inm 102 INVENTOR.

Arron/EX 3,095,060 SCAFFOLDING FUR DOME STRUCTURES John P; Reinhardt,Syosset, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Baker-R005, Inc.,Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed June 28, 1961, Ser-No. 120,234 8 Claims. (Cl. 182-12) This invention relates to scaffoldingfor dome structures.

An object of this invention is to provide scaffolding for the outersurface of a part spherical structure provided with means to move thescaffolding all around the structure about its vertical axis, so thatworkmen on the scaffolding may paint or otherwise service said outersurface.

A further object of this invention is to provide scaffolding of thecharacter described comprising a plurality of step-laddersinterconnected in tandem and hung from cables extending to the upper endof the axis of the structure, each ladder resting on the outer surfaceof said structure and being provided with steps, the steps of eachladder being substantially horizontal to facilitate climbing up theladders.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in scaffolding ofthe character described, a hanging scaffold suspended from the lower endof the lowermost ladder, winch means being provided on said hangingscaffold to raise the same to desired height.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide in scaffolding ofthe character described, scaffold ladders each provided with individualmotorized rollers to move the ladders sideways around the structure, themotive mechanism for the ladders being so selected that the ladders canmove at relative speed which will carry the scafiolding around thestructurewith the ladders remaining in line.

A still further object of this invention is to provide, in scaffoldingof the character described, removable means to keep the motorizedrollers off the surface of the dome, to facilitate pulling thescaffolding up to the proper position relative to the top of the dome,and whereby upon removal of said means, the rollers will contact theouter surface of the dome.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged anddurable scaffolding of the character described which shall be relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate and yet practical andefficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of. parts, which shall beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrativeembodiments of this invention,

FIG. 1 is an outer view of a dome structure provided with scaffoldingembodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational'view of the hanging scaffold;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3a--3a of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial, enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line'44 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the lowermost ladder and part of the onethereabove;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6a is a top view of a front corner of a ladder;

FIG. 6b is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6b5b of FIG. 6a;

Efihiflfill Patented June 25, 1963 FIG. 7 is a top view of the upper endof the scafiolding and the top anchor bearing;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the motor drive shown.

in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged top View of one of the cable dollies;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line Ill-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a vertical view of the anchor hearing at the top of the dome,with parts broken away and in crosssection; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken on line l212 of FIG. 11.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a dome-likestructure provided with scatfolding 11 embodying the invention.

The dome structure may comprise a part of a sphere, from below ahorizontal plane passing through the center of the sphere, to the top.This structure may be hundreds of feet in diameter. painting the outsideof the structure or otherwise servicing the same, because of difiicultyin getting workmen to all parts of the surface. This structure may bemade of steel and may be about one inch in thickness.

The structure 10 may be supported by suitable supporting means 12provided with a door 13.

At the upper end of the vertical axis of the structure it), is an anchorbearing 14 to be described in detail hereinafter, and carrying a liftingwinch 15 for lifting or pulling a pair of parallel cables 16 clamped toover spaced dollies 17. Each dolly 17 comprises spaced pairs of spacedtransverse channels 18 interconnected by end channels 18a welded theretoand carrying longitudinal axles 1812 on which are mounted rotary rubberlined wheels 1230 disposed between the pairs of channels and contactingthe outer surface of the dome. The cables 16 are fixed to the tops ofchannel 18 by means of clamps 19.

The upper ends of cables 16 are anchored to the anchor bearing 14 in themanner to be described here inafter.

The cables 16 are connected at their lower ends to the upper end of ascalfold ladder 25 forming one of a series of tandem connected ladderswhich are of the same construction except as noted hereinafter.

The ladders 25 are interconnected in tandem and lie against the outersurface of the dome structure 10.

Each ladder 25 comprises parallel side frames 26 interconnected by steps27. Each side frame comprises top and bottom parallel pipes 28interconnected by a plurality of crossing braces 29 between which arecross-bars or pipes 30. Crossing braces 29 are welded toeach other andto the pipes 28. Bars or pipes 30 are welded to pipes 28. The steps 27each comprises a rectangular frame 32 carrying a tread 33- of expandedmetal. The steps are inclined to the longitudinal axis of the ladder.The angle of the steps 27 is such that when the scaffolding is in placein the structures the steps of the various ladders are substantiallyhorizontal. Thus the steps of the uppermost ladder 25 are closer tobeing parallel with the axis of the ladder, and in the lowermost ladder,the steps are closer to being normal to its axis.

At the upper end of each ladder is a tongue 35 received between a pairof parallel tongues 36 at the lower end of each ladder. Said tongues areapertured to receive a pivot pin 37 to allow for some swinging movementof one ladder relative to its adjacent ladders.

At the front end of each ladder are side plates 40 welded to the sideframes 26. Welded to the side frames 40 are vertical sleeves, tubes orpipes 41. Rotatably mounted in each pipe 41 is a rod 41a having a wrenchengaging polygonal portion 41b at its upper end. Fixed to each rod 41abelow portion 41b, as by set screw 41c,

Difiiculty has been experienced in 3 is a retaining collar 41dcontacting the upper end of tube 41. Fixed to the lower end of rod 41ais a castor fork or yoke 41e comprising a top plate 41 from which extenddownwardly, ears 41g carrying a transverse shaft 41h on which is mounteda castor wheel 42.

Between the lower end of tube 41 and top plate 41 is a bronze washer41f.

Top plate 41 is formed with two tapped openings 41k and 411 spaced 90apart and having equal radii to the axis of sleeve 41. Opening 41k isforward of the axis of sleeve 41, while opening 411 is outwardly of saidaxis.

Fixed to the lower end of each sleeve 41 is a lug 43 which extendsforwardly and is formed with clear hole 43a adapted to selectivelyregister with tapped openings 41k and 411 upon rotating the rod 41a fromthe position of FIGS. 4, 6, 6a, 6b outwardly through an angle of 90, tobring the wheels from a position in which the ladders move up or down,to a position in which the ladders move around the vertical axis of thedome.

Slidable in opening 43a of each lug is a bolt 43b which may be screwedinto either opening 41k or 411'.

At the rear end of each ladder are brackets 44 connected by chains 45 tobrackets 46 at the front ends of adjacent ladders.

Fixed to the rear or lower end of each ladder 25 are brackets 48 havingparallel portions 49 and outwardly extending aligned portions 50. Boltedto the outwardly extending portions 50 are jack screw sleeves 51 inwhich are screwed jacks 51a carrying casters 52. The jacks 51a areadjustable to lift the rear ends of the ladders away from the :domestructure 10. The jacks may be removed by unbolting them from brackets48.

Fixed to one side of the rear end of each ladder 25 is a plate 53. Fixedto opposite sides of the rear end of the ladder are symmetrical brackets54 of angle shape having longitudinal portions 54a and outwardlyextending portions 54b. Mounted on plate 53 is an electric motor coupledby a coupling 61 to a speed reduction gear box 62 from which extends ashaft 63 passing through an opening in wall 54b and carrying a gear 64.Mounted on and between walls 50, 54b is a shaft 66, carrying a bronzebushing 66a on which is rotatably mounted a pneumatic roller 71. Fixedto one end of each roller is an assembly 69 comprising a wheel hub 71a,a sprocket 67 and a gear bolted together by bolts 71b. Gear 65 mesheswith gear 64.

A shaft parallel to shaft 66 is mounted on walls 50, 54b at the oppositeside of the ladder supporting a similar pneumatic roller 71 providedwith a similar assembly 69. A sprocket chain 68 connects the sprocketwheel 67 of one assembly 69 with the sprocket wheel of the otherassembly.

These rollers 71 are maintained in spaced relation to the outer surfaceof dome structure 10 (when the scaffolding is being pulled up by thewinch 15 on the anchor bearing 14) by the jacks 51a. However, when it isdesired to swing the scaffolding around the dome structure, the jacksmay be first adjusted to allow rollers 71 to contact the :dome, and thenthe jack sleeves 51' may be unbolted and removed.

The speed of the motors 60 and their drives may be so adjusted that, asthe motors operate, the scaffolding will travel around the domestructure, about its vertical axis, with the ladders 25 substantially inline. The axes of the rollers 71 are parallel to the axes of the laddersso that the ladders will move sideways, being supported at their rearends on said rollers or tires, and at their front ends on the casters42.

There is also provided a hanging scaffold suspended them the lower endof the lowermost ladder 25. Said scafiold 80 is in the form of a cage 81in which one or more persons may stand. Said cage 81 has a rectangularfloor or plat-form 82 from the corners of which extend upwardly, outercorner posts 83 and inner corner posts 84 interconnected by side rails85 disposed above the floor, and by top sails or bars 86a. The posts 83,84 on one side are connected to those on the other side by an outer bar86 and an inner bar 87. The cage 81 also has a sub-floor 90. At itslower end, said cage has rollers 91 and, at its upper end, inwardlyextending bars 92 carrying rollers 93.

At the upper end of the cage are upwardly and inward- 1y inclined braces94 coming to a central apex above the cage carrying a pulley 95. Asecond pulley 96 is carried on a plate 97 fixed to the middle of bar 86,and is in alignment with pulley 95.

On the sub-floor is a motor 100 connected by gearing 101 to a winch 102from which extends a cable'103 passing up over pulley 96 and underpulley 95. The upper end of cable 103 is connected as at to tongue 36 atthe rear end of the lowermost ladder 25.

Rollers 91 and 93 are of the swivel type to permit travel vertically orhorizontally.

Bars 92 are of such length as to maintain the floor or platform of thecage in a reasonably horizontal position over the entire vertical travelof the hanging scaffold.

A protective vertical rectangular channel shaped screen 111 may beattached to a cross bar 112, the ends of which are fixed to posts 84.Also, plate 97 may be supported by inclined braces 115 fixed at theirlower ends 1 up to any of the ladders. Also, the operator can stepanchor bearing comprises a vertical axial post or tube 05 the uprnostladder onto the upper, almost flat surface of the dome structure.

scaffolding sideways, the motors 60 are energized.

The anchor bearing 14 will now be described. Said (FIG. 11) welded tothe axial top of the dome 10 and extends up therefrom. Disposedconcentrically about the lower end ofthe tube 150 and spaced there--from, is an outer tube 151 formed with a top outwardly extending flange152 and with outwardly extending, vertical, radial ribs 153. Set-screws154 screwed radially through outer tube 151 engage inner tube 150'tohold the outer tube against movement.

7 Above lower outer tube 151 is an upper outer t be 156 telescoped overinner tube 150 but spaced concentrically therefrom. At the lower end oftube 156 is an outwardly extending flange 157 disposed above flange 152.Between flanges 152, 157 is a thrust ball bearing 158. Tubes 151 and 156are preferably of similar diameter.

Said upper, outer tube 156 is formed at each of difierent levelsthereof, with more than two arcuate slots 160, and with pairs of outerapertured ears 161'at opposite sides of said slot and supporting rollers162 projecting through said slots and engaging the inner fixed tube 150.

. Tube 156 is thus mounted for axial rotation about fixed tube 150.

Fixed to opposite sides of tube 156 are apertured ears 163 receivingshackles 164 to which the cables 16 are connected as at 165. v

A two part split clam-p comprising two substantially semi-cylindricalparts 171 bolted together, as by bolts 172, is clamped to the upper endof tube 150 above tube 156. The motorized winch 15 may be mounted on aplate 175 supported on the fingers of upstanding brackets 176 integrallyformed with tube 156 and extending above clamp 170. v

The winch 15 may first be used to pull the cables 16, dollies 17 andladders 25 up to desired position. Then the winch cable may bedisconnected from the cables 16. The cables 16 are then connected byshackles 164 to the ears 161.

When it is desired to move the The winch 15 may then be used to suspenda free safety top, if desired.

it will he noted that :as the ladders move around the dome, the tube 156may rotate slowly about fixed tube 159.

The winch 15 may of course also be used to lower the ladders.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adaptedto meet the conditions of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and asvarious changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it isto be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. In combination, a domed structure, an anchor at the top of thestructure, scaffolding comprising a plurality of scaffold laddersprovided with steps and located on the outside of the structure, meansto connect said ladders in tandem, said anchor comprising .a memberrotatable about the vertical axis of the domed structure, cable meansconnecting the uppermost of said ladders to said rotatable member, dollymeans connected to said cable means and engaging the outer surface ofthe domed structure, motive means on the scafiolding and engaging theouter surface of the domed structure for moving the scafiolding aboutthe vertical axis of the domed structure, a hanging scafiold, and meanssuspending said hanging scaffold from the lowermost ladder, said lastnamed means including means for raising and lowering the hangingscaffold relative to said lowermost ladder.

2. In combination, a domed structure having an anchor at its top,scaffolding extending outwardly and downwardly over the surface of saiddomed structure and connected to said anchor for movement around thedomed structure, said scaifolding comprising a plurality of rigidladders and means releasably interconnecting them in tandem, and meansfor rotating the scaifolding aboutthe axis of the domed structure, saidmeans comprising rollers carried by said ladders and engaging thesurface of the domed structure, each of said rollers being mounted onits associated ladder for rotation about an :axis lying in a generallyvertical plane and generally parallel to the surface of the domedstructure, and power-operated means carried by each ladder andoperatively connected to the roller thereof for driving the roller, theseveral power-operated means being so co ordinated with respect to theirspeeds of operation that the several ladders will remain in at leastapproximate alignment as the scafiolding rotates about the axis of thedomed structure as a result of power-efiected rotation of said rollersabout their respective axes.

3. The combination of claim 2 with the addition that said scafiolding isconnected to said anchor through suspending means extending between theanchor and the uppermost ladder, said suspending means being adjustablein efiective length to vary the distance of the scaffolding from theaxis of the domed structure, each of said ladders being providedadjacent said roller with a second roller adapted to provide rollingsupport for the ladder from the domed structure when the scaffoldingmoves toward or away from the axis of the domed structure as a result ofvarying the length of said suspending means, and means for adjusting oneof said rollers relative to the other along a line perpendicular to thesurface of the domed structure whereby either roller can be broughtinto, and the other roller out of, engagement with the domed structureto adapt the ladder for movement alternatively about or toward and awayfrom the axis of the domed structure.

4. The combination of claim 3 with the addition that said rollers arelocated near one end of the ladder, and

one or more casters supporting the other end of the ladder from thedomed structure.

5. The combination of claim 2 with the addition of a hanging scaffoldand means for suspending said hanging scafiold from the lowermost ofsaid ladders, said suspending means being adjustable to vary the heightof said hanging scaffold.

6. In combination, a domed structure having an anchor at its top,elongated scaffolding extending outwardly and downwardly over thesurface of said domed structure, means extending between the upper,inner end of said scailolding and said anchor for limiting outward anddownward movement of the scaffolding under the influence of gravity,said means being adjustable in effective length to vary the distancebetween the scaffolding and the axis of the domed structure, wheeledcasters mounted at spaced intervals along said scaffolding forsupporting the scaffolding from the surface of the domed structure, eachof said casters being swiveled on the scaffolding on an axisperpendicular to the surface of the domed structure and movable aboutsuch axis to permit the caster to be disposed either in a first positionwith the axis of its wheel extending parallel to the scaffolding or in asecond position with the axis of its wheel extending transverse to thescaffolding, and motive means for swinging the scafiolding about theaxis of the domed structure.

7. The combination of claim 6 with the addition that said scaffoldingcomprises a series of flexibly interconnected ladders, a plurality ofsaid casters being mounted on each of said ladders.

8. The combination of claim 6 with the addition of releasable means forlocking each caster in either of said positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN COMBINATION, A DOMED STRUCTURE, AN ANCHOR AT THE TOP OF THESTRUCTURE, SCAFFOLDING COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SCAFFOLD LADDERSPROVIDED WITH STEPS AND LOCATED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE STRUCTURE, MEANSTO CONNECT SAID LADDERS IN TANDEM, SAID ANCHOR COMPRISING A MEMBERROTATABLE ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE DOMED STRUCTURE, CABLE MEANSCONNECTING THE UPPERMOST OF SAID LADDERS TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER, DOLLYMEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CABLE MEANS AND ENGAGING THE OUTER SURFACE OFTHE DOMED STRUCTURE, MOTIVE MEANS ON THE SCAFFOLDING AND ENGAGING THEOUTER SURFACE OF THE DOMED STRUCTURE FOR MOVING THE SCAFFOLDING ABOUTTHE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE DOMED STRUCTURE, A HANGING SCAFFOLD, AND MEANSSUSPENDING SAID HANGING SCAFFOLD FROM THE LOWERMOST LADDER, SAID LASTNAMED MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE HANGINGSCAFFOLD RELATIVE TO SAID LOWERMOST LADDER.